01-03-2012

Green Chemistry Campus agreement signed

Last Thursday 1st March, the 4 initiators signed the partnership agreement underlying the Green Chemistry Campus.

By subscribing the agreement, the Province of North-Brabant, SABIC IP, REWIN West-Brabant and the municipality of Bergen op Zoom sealed their cooperation and formally commited themselves to the campus. Furthermore, the agreement contains the plans and intentions for the future.

Bert Pauli, Provincial Executive for Economic Affairs and Administration of the Province of North Brabant:

"The biobased economy can be an important driving force for the Brabant economy. Here, many companies are already looking for proper substitutes for fossil fuels. The Green Chemistry Campus gives the innovative power of Brabant in this field a boost. With an extensive agricultural-food sector in search of a market for its own residual flows and a good infrastructure, all preconditions are met. Thereto, the Green Chemistry Campus adds the opportunity of taking great steps in developing new materials. An asset for Brabant."

Willem Sederel, Technology & Innovation leader SABIC:

"Signing this agreement is an important step for SABIC in Bergen op Zoom. It is in keeping with the ambitions of SABIC to, world-wide, increasingly produce in a more sustainable manner and market more renewable products. Through the campus’ open innovation with other companies, this process is accelerated."

The Green Chemistry Campus

In September 2011, the Green Chemistry Campus already started on a small scale. The idea of the future is that the campus becomes the centre for open chemical innovation in the field of biobased innovations. The first companies have already established their business on campus, and there is plenty of drive for expansion over the next few years. Educational institutes are also ready to go and play a part in the development of the campus into an inspiring environment. Avans College plans to start a Centre of Expertise in the sphere of green chemistry, soon to be established on the campus in Bergen op Zoom.

Accelerating Biobased Business

In a biobased economy, ‘green’ materials take over the role of fossil fuels like oil. Oil is a part of practically everything, from synthetics and chemicals to fuels. Brabant entrepreneurs are currently investigating alternatives. West Brabant has a substantial concentration of both agricultural-food companies and  chemical companies. These businesses can tap new markets, by renewing their traditional products and methods. The Green Chemistry Campus wants to be the driving force for this development: an environment where larger and smaller companies, knowledge institutes and the authorities work together in an open innovation structure, to develop new products and technologies, focussing on biobased materials,-chemicals and -coatings. A dynamo, so that the companies involved can accelerate making a profit from their biobased business and speed up the transition to a biobased economy.

From left to right: Mr Nijskens – managing director REWIN West-Brabant, Mr Polman – mayor of Bergen op Zoom , Mr Govers - general manager Sabic IP Global and Mr Pauli – provincial executive for Economic Affairs of the province of North Brabant seal their cooperation in the Green Chemistry Campus